Secret 7"

In Spring I managed to overlook the Secret 7" project for Teenage Cancer Trust. Moreover the fact that several preston illustrators had been included in the Show also passed me by. Well we were supposed to keep it a secret, then forgot.

The event took place back in April so it's well over for this year. However the Idea Generation gallery in Shoreditch exhibited about 700 seven inch sleeve designs inspired by tracks donated by The Cure, Florence + The Machine, Bombay Bicycle Club, CSS, DJ Shadow, Noah & The Whale and Ben Howard. The exhibition had an added air of mystery as no-one knew who designed each sleeve, or which of the seven tracks was housed inside. On the 21st April each of the one-of-a-kind 7'' records were available to take home for a minimum donation to Teenage Cancer Trust of £40.

Recent graduate Jake Tyas whose piece of work we used for our publicity posters during the Summer show was one such secret sleeve.

As was this from Andy Thomson

and this by Chris Arrowsmith. 

If you click on the title link you can view the Secret Seven Inch site look at the artwork and also if you keep an eye on the site the event might happen again and you might be able to take part next year?
You can also find out about the work that the Teenage Cancer Trust do by following the link.

Secrets by Ben Tallon

Preston illustration's Ben Tallon has collaborated with animator Ross Phillips on this video Ben's first foray into music video animation for Secrets by Byron featuring Dot Rotten and Ghetts. As well as working independently as a freelance illustrator Ben is a part of a team of people collaborating on music design and art direction called Quenched including several former Preston illustration graduates - check out the video. Sounded a bit Smashy and Nicey then?

Ali Graney

It is with huge sadness that I have to inform you that our colleague and friend Ali Graney has died after a short illness.

Ali came to work part time with us on the Illustration course at Preston Illustration about ten years ago. She was always great fun to work with, always got stuck in and enjoyed the practical, messy stuff; drawing and cutting out a speciality with the students - who loved having Ali around. She became a fixture as part time tutor in recent years and students loved her good humour and no nonsense attitude. She loved the students in return and always took great pride in their achievements.

Ali shared an office with me, and her patience at putting up with, and sharing the mess that I make was quite astonishing. I will miss her personally as a friend, the course will miss her as a true creative spark and the students will miss her as their caring guide and mentor.

She met her partner Lee when they both worked on the course. We send our sincere condolences to Lee and also to her family at this awful time.

Alison Clare Graney - who sadly died July 12th 2012.

Take Five Illustrators - National Gallery Scotland

There is an exhibition of children's illustration at the The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh from the 11th June − 30th October 2012. The display showcases the work of five artists who illustrate books for children, including; Alice Melvin, Cate James, Barroux, Bruce Ingman and Sara Ogilvie. Many of our students will remember Sara's visit to Preston a few years ago? Sara was recipient of the Booktrust Best New Illustrator Award in 2011.

Also in the exhibition is Bruce Ingman whose successful partnership with author Allan Ahlberg includes "The Pencil" and "The Runaway Dinner". Whilst Alice Melvin was also recipient of the Book Trust Best New Illustrators Award in 2011 for her work with Tate publishing such as "Counting Birds".

Barroux introduces his home country in "Mr Leon’s Paris". Whilst Cate James illustrates the Lollipop and Grandpa series written by Penelope Harper.

Three of the illustrators will be appearing at The Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer but you can meet all five of them in person at monthly master classes held at the Scottish National Gallery during the Summer.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/whatson/exhibitions/take-five-illustrators/#.UAcw8675PxE

Interview with Debbie Greenaway

Here is an interview with Debbie Greenaway who graduated from preston illustration in 2008 I found it on the Business Boom Bolton website. It's interesting to hear Debbie's stories of life after graduation working as an illustrator / craft / maker.


"WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO FOLLOW A SIMILAR PATH INTO FREELANCE DESIGN AND WORKING FOR YOURSELF?
Make a start – doesn’t have to be big but a start in the right direction will do. Make sure you organise yourself and your time. Remember to continue being creative as time can run away from you if you don’t make yourself sit down and do what it is you are supposed, to actually be doing... After that, if needs be, register as self- employed, start a blog, join twitter/facebook and make sure you have a website, business cards and an online shop or two.

Most of the online platforms are free to join and there is a whole community out there to get involved in. Ask questions at any time, no matter how silly they sound, people will always try and help or point you in the direction of someone else who may know."

Read the whole interview along with other creative business stories here:


http://businessboombolton.com/2012/07/09/interview-debbie-greenway/

Unleashed: The Best in the North at Mr Thomas' Chop House Manchester

29 June 2012 - 31 August 2012

Now open at Mr Thomas' Chop House in Manchester - the third Unleashed: The Best in the North 2012 Exhibition 

Unleashed: The Best in the North is a competition and exhibition of final year illustration students from all over the North(ish) of England shown at Mr Thomas’s Chop House in Manchester City Centre on Cross Street. They hold a competition where they ask art students from around the north to submit their final year illustration work. The exhibition is judged by industry professionals and 25 pieces are shortlisted for a final gala charity auction held on the evening of Thursday 19th July.

This year Preston Illustration students have had four pieces selected two each from 2012 graduates Tim Hall for the movies Super Eight and Tinker Tailor, and two by Rik Das of comedians Benny Hill and Tommy Cooper.

The exhibition runs until August and customers can buy the non-shortlisted pieces of artwork. There is a gala dinner for an invited audience where the 25 shortlisted pieces of artwork are auctioned off; the money raised through the sale of work and the gala dinner is split between the students and the North West Air Ambulance.
So if you're in Manchester pop in and have look?
You can also see more about the show on the facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/UNLEASHEDBestintheNorth

A Monster Calls

I have just finished reading "A Monster Calls" By Patrick Ness based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd (who died before she could write her book). It is published by Walker books. The story is a moving one about a boy who's mother is suffering from cancer.


Jim Kay who illustrated the book has just been awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration for his beautiful and sensitive depiction of "A Monster Calls". Not only that but Patrick Ness was awarded his second consecutive Carnegie Medal by CILIP for the story as well.
Jim Kay's images are dark and beautifully composed with a huge variety of marks as the publicity describes him printing from old chopping boards "Old bread boards are wonderful - they have a whole history of cuts and marks. When you make a print with one you get an abstract piece of art"and living with marks; "I put thousands of abstract marks and splatters all round the flat. As I went about my daily life I started to see things in them - maybe an arm or a hedgerow. Things took on their own little life", to achieve the sort of visual effects he wanted.  You can find out more about Jim Kay's work here: http://www.jimkay.co.uk


It is one of the few book objects I have seen for some years where the consideration of the subject matter, and the quality of the images, and design is such that it justifies being described as an illustrated book for both adults and children and I heartily recommend it!